The Heritage Campaign is being launched in Summer, 2010 to help insure a strong future for Christ-centered ministry at Lutheridge and Lutherock. The first programs at Lutheridge began in 1951 and the first 50 acres of the land at Lutherock was gifted in 1957. Since that time, the programs have grown to welcome tens of thousands of people each year in many long serving facilities. Countless lives have been touched and changed, thousands of leaders have been equipped for ministry and a profound and lasting impact has been made on the Lutheran church in the south.
Goals of the Appeal
- To provide a new swimming pool at Lutheridge to replace a pool that has been in declining condition. Also it is too small to allow each camper to swim daily, is expensive to maintain and is challenging to comply with new federal pool standards.
- To increase housing to double the size of the Outdoor Adventure Program at Lutheridge which is LLMI’s fastest growing program for middle and high school students.
- To provide for the long-term future of the ministry by addressing deferred maintenance and providing endowments that will assure the long-term care of facilities including Lineberger Hall and Thornburg Hall at Lutheridge.
Projects of the Appeal
Projects will be funded in the following order unless gifts are restricted to a particular project
Mission Hall Apartments: In late December, 2009 fire severely damaged the Mission Hall Apartments that house year round and summer staff members. Insurance covers some of the cost, however, improvements were needed beyond insurance including a sloped roof, better insulation, efficient windows and HVAC are being added to reduce annual operating costs.
Road resurfacing: The entrance road at Lutheridge has deteriorated after decades of wear and tear. In order to welcome guests and protect vehicles, immediate resurfacing is needed.
Lineberger Dining Hall: The dining hall serves more than 100,000 meals annually. Improvements are needed to make the building more energy efficient as well as more aesthetically pleasing to guests. New floors, windows, walls and doors will transform this space to reflect the hospitality experienced at Lutheridge and air conditioning will also be much appreciated by guests.
New Swimming Pool, Bathhouse, and tent village: The current swimming has served campers since 1966. The condition of the pool is declining and it is increasingly difficult to repair and is so small that campers don’t get to swim as often as they would like. The county has put Lutheridge on notice that changing regulations may cause the pool to no longer be usable in five years. The pool will be re-located to the lower campus and the bathhouse will serve both swimmers and the rapidly growing Outdoor Adventure Program. A platform tent village will be located adjacent to the pool complex.
Thornburg Hall: Originally known as Leadership Hall, the facility was renamed to honor Lutheridge’s founding director, the Rev. Dr. J. Lewis Thornburg, when it was winterized in 1982. Now the need is to add HVAC units to each guest room and to remove the transoms so guest rooms will be quieter. New furniture will be purchased along with carpeting, drapes, bedspreads and a fresh coat of paint. Rock facing on the exterior will match the facility and character of other buildings.
Infrastructure improvements: Infrastructure funds will enable LLMI to make important behind the scenes improvements to care for foundations, roofs, roads, boilers, and sewers. Following this boost the refurbishment fund, which sets aside $3.40 per guest night, LLMI will be able to adequately maintain it’s heritage of quality facilities. Camper cabins in Pioneer A and Pioneer B as well as landscaping in those areas will also receive attention.
Lutheranch land acquisition: Lutheranch is LLMI’s newest outdoor ministry site. The property is just one hour west of downtown Atlanta. It features two lakes, a Georgia trout stream, picturesque scenery, and a working horse farm. $2 million remains in debt on the property so it is important that the Heritage Campaign provide funds to assist with debt retirement.
Preparation work for the new Conference Inn: The final project in the master plan for Lutheridge is the construction of a new Conference Inn. The “Inn” will accommodate up to 100 adult guests and will be situated on the current swimming pool site, so it is close to Lineberger Hall and the Faith Center. Included here are funds for the initial planning for the architect and contractor to design the project and to get accurate pricing prior to launching a future campaign.
Click here to download the prospectus.
Click here to watch the campaign video.